Real Brazilian Portuguese & Culture
Arroz Vermelho Some foods are so particular to a small, micro-region, that they remain unmentioned when speaking about the food of a larger, geographical region. Arroz Vermelho (red rice) is one of these foods. Arroz Vermelho is a dish that is neither representative of typical Northeastern cuisine, nor is it part of quintessential Bahian fare. [...]
I loved that my husband was from Bahia, the land of axé, beautiful beaches, moqueca and acarjé. However, it wasn’t until Renato picked me up at the airport in Salvador and took me on a seven hour long bus ride that only seemed to get higher and higher into the mountains, pausing for a pit [...]
Água de Coco Coconut water is the liquid found inside young coconuts, not to be confused with coconut milk. Coconut water is found in the core of young, green coconuts. As the coconut matures this liquid largely becomes absorbed into the nut’s flesh. Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropics, where [...]
THE BRAZILIAN AÇAÍ TREND Açaí, just like anything in excess, can be bad for your health. Is that stopping me from having it every day? No. I guess that means I’m on an açaí diet. If you are one of the people who still doesn’t know what this chocolaty blueberry type fruit is, let me [...]
1. Vitamina de Abacate: Drinking smoothies (in Portuguese, “vitaminas“) is very popular in Brazil. But an avocado smoothie? Brazilians, to the contrary of Americans, think of the avocado as a fruit (which of course it is, botanically), albeit one that must be sweetened to be appreciated. Brazilian avocados are larger than North American ones, and a quarter [...]
Just How Cold Do Brazilians Like Their Beer? Brazilians are very particular about beer. First and foremost, it needs to be as cold as possible without being frozen (or maybe just a little frozen is OK), and being served beer that is not this cold is absolutely unacceptable. People in the US don’t seem to [...]
Making Your Own Brazilian Pimenta In Brazil, it’s common to make one’s own hot sauce. It’s not difficult to do and there are so many wonderful varieties of chilis to choose from in Brazil that you can make several for your kitchen arsenal – each one just different enough from the next to earn its [...]
How and When Do People in Brazil Eat Eggs? When they talk about eggs, or at least chicken eggs, the English speakers of the world generally divide them into two colors – white and brown. Some have a distinct preference for white eggs, while others somehow feel that brown eggs are healthier, perhaps by analogy [...]
HOW TO LEARN PORTUGUESE The best way to learn Brazilian Portuguese (or any language) is to expand your vocabulary by gradually memorizing lists of related words. This technique will help orient your mind to making connections between words in a certain category or taxonomy, which will facilitate your retrieval of the newly learned words later [...]
Mousse de Maracujá (For More Brazilian Recipes Click Here) Mousse de Maracujá, passion fruit mousse, is my absolute favorite Brazilian dessert (although Mousse de Limão is a close second). I like it best chilled and made without gelatin, so that it is softer and creamier. Below is a good recipe, (it is one of the easiest things [...]
CAIPIRINHA VARIATIONS A Caipiroska is a Caipirinha that is mixed with vodka instead of cachaça, the traditional Brazilian rum (which is also called pinga). Another common substitute for the traditional cachaça is the Japanese rice spirit saque, at least in São Paulo where there is a heavy Japanese cultural influence. The resulting drink is Caipisake or Sakerinha. [...]
TRAVELING TO BELEM Belém (in the state of Pará) is at the mouth of the Amazon and is a major reference in a visit to the northern Brazilian Amazon. Belém helps you get a feel of what to expect in the Amazon basin. Belém, like Manaus (capital city of the Amazonas state) is a jumping-off point for [...]
What is The Brazilian Fruit Jaca? This big lady is not originally from Brazil, but it loved the climate there when it was brought from India. The word jackfruit comes from its Portuguese name, “jaca.” Jaca is a hefty fruit. A medium one is bigger than a watermelon, and heavier. It’s the largest cultivated [...]
What is a Pitanga? Pitanga is tangy. Very tangy. You know that taste of quinine, the stuff they use in tonic water? Well, pitanga has its own “ine,” “pitanguine” (I am not kidding). It’s sort of easy to evoke pitanga’s taste even afters years not eating it. Sweet, juicy, tart, marvellous. The texture is [...]
Traditional Food of Bahia & The Brazilian Northeast First of all… Thanks Lani Brown! This is a post about Bahian food. Bahia is the state that is most known for having the best carnaval celebration…ever….which is centered in the capital city Salvador. But it is also known for its food. Bahia is perhaps the most well [...]
Restaurant D.O.M In Sao Paulo Just Voted The Best Restaurant In Brazil Yum! javali (that’s a boar) filé mignon with polenta!!! S. Pellagrino Just Voted D.O.M. in Sao Paulo the best restaurant in Brazil (…and number 7 in the world). I’ve been to this restaurant, the food is amazing, as it should be for the absurd [...]
LIST OF COLLECTIVE NOUNS IN PORTUGUESE cacho – bunch of bananas or grapes arquipélago – islands (archipelago) cordilheira – mountains feixe – kindling / wood for burning flora – plants or vegetables (flora) floresta / bosque – trees (forest) miríade – stars pomar – fruit trees (orchard) ramalhete / buquê – bouquet of flowers réstia – [...]
I am obsessed with Caipirinhas. This is the simplest, healthiest and most delicious alcoholic beverage ever invented. There are no artificially sweetened sirups, nasty boxed 0% juices or all of the other sludge that’s dumped into the mixed drinks served at college night at your local T.G.I. Fridays. First of all, a Caipirinha contains only [...]
We all know that one of the great things about Brazil is all of the fresh fruit. It is unfairly common in Brazil for people to have mango trees, lemon trees, and guava trees growing in their own back yards. Coconuts (coco in Portuguese) are growing all around, you can buy one to drink on almost any [...]
What Is A X-Tudo, Or A X-Bacon, X-Salada??? If you’ve spent time with Brazilians, many times you will find that they have a strange urge to pile a questionable pile of assorted ingredients onto a bed of rice and beans….and it begins to look like, well….like they just don’t care- whatever happened to be lurking in [...]
